A heat wave swept across large parts of India for the fifth straight day on Tuesday (May 21), severely affecting the health and livelihoods of residents. No relief is expected for the next five days in the affected areas, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and northwest Madhya Pradesh.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a red alert for these states, highlighting the need for “extreme care for vulnerable people”. The extreme heat is also affecting the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, which are typically a haven for those escaping the heat of the plains.
Delhi saw a slight drop in temperatures compared to the previous days, but levels remained three to five degrees above normal for this time of the year. The maximum temperature in Mungeshpur settled at 44.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Palam (44.4 degrees), Najafgarh (43.9 degrees), Pusa and Pitampura (both 43.4 degrees) and Aya Nagar (42.4 degrees).
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According to the IMD, the capital will be on orange alert on Wednesday. The Met Office also published a seven-day forecast and issued a red alert from Thursday to Saturday, calling for “extreme care for vulnerable people” due to the heat wave in the capital.
Temperatures will soar to 47.8°C in parts of northern India
On Tuesday, temperatures soared above 45 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh, forcing many to stay indoors during the afternoon. Gujarat experienced a deadly combination of high heat and humidity, with Haryana’s Sirsa recording the highest temperature in the country at 47.8 degrees Celsius.
Parts of Maharashtra sizzle at 45.2
Several parts of Maharashtra recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius yesterday, with Jalgaon reaching 45.2 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In Mumbai, the Santacruz and Colaba observatories, which monitor the suburb and the island city, recorded temperatures of 34.9 and 35 degrees Celsius respectively.
